Sunday, December 30, 2018

Goodbye 2018.

Monday 31 Dec 2018.Golf handicap 12.That's in my "2018 Golf Notes". I'd jotted down "play to 12" as a resolution for 2018. Well, believe it or not, my MGA National Handicap System handicap card for December 2017 says "USGA Handicap Index 13.1; Course/Slope Rating 72.5/ 134; blue: 16; white: 15", while the same card for December 2018 says blue:11; white: 11". I made it. Not bad for 74. That's the age, not the rating.On top of accompanying Dekna to the Courts in Ipoh and Muar several times, and to Penang once, accompanying realtives for weddings they chose to hold as far away from home as possible, and 3 overseas family trips, with 13 hours of total flight time, and equal hours of waiting time, I'd accumulated some mileage for 2018. I guess family matters matter.Then there was the Great GE 14 on 9th. May, that saw an over-confident, over-bloated and over-everything-else BN thrashed after 61 years being in power. There was the unnecessary, wasteful bye-election in PD, NS, and soon, the necessary but equally wasteful bye-election in Rantau, also in NS.I attended BERSATU's NS Convention in PD 9th. December, and the first day of its National AGM in Putrajaya held 29-30 of the same month.In both venues I saw the youthful composition of the crowd. That's promising.There was palpable enthusiasm in both places. That's also promising.No money changed hands for "expenses" in PD and Putrajaya. I was there. This I've seen in PWTC every year, and I was there, too. Is that promising ?There were lots of talk, of course. These were party politics, anyway. But, as they say, talk is cheap. People talk of "the Malay Tsunami" in GE 14. They spoke of the UMNO rot and the current desertions of its elected representatives, although Mahathir astutely downplayed the effect of this party-hopping. Because BERSATU stands to gain the most, and PKR and DAP are already making suitable noises. They spoke in PD and Putrajaya of doing this and that, and not doing this and that. Would everyone who needs to act, do so ? Walk the talk, as it were. Syed Saddek said the right thing in Putrajaya - if BERSATU stops doing what it did before GE 14, it would lose GE 15.Then there were the exFMC/RMC gatherings, in Mindef and Sg. Besi. Some old friends of half-a-century ago met. And I met Hafizi in Ipoh after 50 years. The years have taken their toll, family lives keep us all apart, but the fond memories linger.The whole year I'd tried to catch up on my reading. That's an "F". But in doing so, I'd tried to reorganize my collection of books. I started with my golf library, but that's all I've done so far. I found out that I have 111 books under this topic. Maybe that's why I got the handicap 11 - it's 10%.Well, no earth shattering records were made by me this year. No mountains were moved, nor the helpless of the world saved. But I kept the family together, and we're healthy and still wise. No wealth here. But it's ok..........................................................................

About Me

I was born in Kuala Pilah. My late father was a teacher. My primary schooling was in Tanjong Malim, where my father taught at the Sultan Idris Training College(now UPSI).I attended secondary schools in Kuala Pilah,Port Dickson,and Sungai Besi.I graduated from Universiti Malaya, attended Birmingham University, UK, and the Asian Institute of Management,Manila.I have served in the government,in a statutory body, and a public listed company, all in all for a total of 31 years.